Meet Salt and Her Relatives

Salt is NOT just salt!

All of us need salt to live. It’s one of the primary tastes of man and has been around for approximately 8,000 years. Salt was once used as payment when trading during the time of the Roman Empire. The word salt means salary in Latin. It was that precious! Did you know that there are different kinds of salt?

Salt can be classified as natural or processed (refined). The difference between the two lies in their content and processing. Natural salt is made up of around 84% sodium chloride. Processed salt is usually about 98% sodium chloride. The remaining nutrients found in natural salt consist of minerals which are naturally occurring. That’s a good thing. These may include calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and other trace minerals. On the other hand, the remaining 2% in processed salt is predominantly made up of iodine and moisture absorbents.

Here are many of the different types of salt you can find on the market today:

Type of Salt	Notable Characteristics	Pros	Cons
Kosher salt	Because of its large flakes, Kosher salt is used for removing blood from the surfaces of meat before cooking. Named for its type and purpose, *NOT* on the guidelines of kosher stated in Jewish law.	*Typically* contains no additives or chemicals. It’s perfect for curing your meat (koshering). Has a mild flavour and dissolves faster.	Some brands do put in certain additives. So look for *additive-free* brands.
Himalayan salt	Mined in the Himalayan regions from ancient crystalised sea beds. Contains less *sodium* than table salt.	Himalayan salt gets its pink colour from the small amounts of iron oxide it contains. It also contains other minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium.	Can be quite moreish because of its delicious taste. You’ll want to add it to all of your food! Usually a bit more expensive than table salt.
Sea salt	Comes from seawater through evaporation. Can be in a crystallised or flaked form and is usually not completely white. The darker the colour, the more minerals it contains. Contains less *sodium* than table salt.	Usually unrefined (e.g. no bleaching), vital trace minerals remain in the salt like zinc, potassium and magnesium. Great for adding a pungent and complex taste to foods.	Usually a bit more expensive than table salt.
Table salt	The most commonly used salt. It's taken from salt mines and then refined. Contains the *greatest amount of sodium* compared to the other types of salt.	May contain iodine for your thyroid (iodised salt). Iodine is helpful for preventing goitre. If you can’t get enough iodine from your food, this may be the type of salt for you.	Undergoes chemical processing including bleaching with chlorine. Can also contain anti-caking agents like: Sodium aluminosilicate Sodium ferrocyanide Potassium ferrocyanide Calcium carbonate Calcium silicate Magnesium carbonate
Rock salt	Also called halite, which is the unrefined mineral form of sodium chloride. It’s what table salt is refined from.	Usually put on icy streets in winter to melt the ice. Usually unrefined so may also contain some natural minerals.	Less commonly used for cooking because of its very large crystals.
Celtic Sea salt	A particular type of sea salt with a light grey colour which is more moist than other salt. Harvested in Brittany, France, near the Celtic Sea. Contains less *sodium* than table salt.	Celtic sea salt does not undergo refining (like bleaching), so like sea and himalayan salt, it also contains traces of minerals.	Usually a bit more expensive than table salt.
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The Greatest Myths behind Salt

#1 Your blood pressure increases if you add more salt to your food. Even though doctors have long been warning that a high salt intake raises your blood pressure, the science does not back this up. In fact for every study that tries to validate this myth, there’s another study that challenges it and completely throws it out the window. In fact more recent studies are showing just the opposite, that eating a low salt diet may be harmful to your heart. But the kind of salt you consume matters because the more unrefined the salt, the more other minerals you will get. So we recommend an unrefined salt like sea salt, Celtic salt or Himalayan salt, rather than table salt. Though if you’re low in iodine, make sure you top up on iodine rich foods like seaweed to avoid a deficiency of this important mineral.
#2 A high salt diet means increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Another medical statement made by health authorities that we follow blindly. There’s no convincing evidence that reducing your salt intake decreases your chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke. Studies show no direct connection between your chances of suffering from a heart attack or stroke and your salt intake.
#3 A low salt diet helps in preventing insulin resistance and diabetes. The opposite is quite true. If you maintain a low salt diet, it could lead to insulin resistance and eventually diabetes for you. This may be due to mineral deficiencies caused by following a low salt diet.

Your body NEEDS salt for:

Better electrolyte and fluid balance.
Faster neural transmission by your nervous system.
More efficient muscle movements.
Healthy levels of hydrochloric acid in your stomach. Chloride ions (in salt) are needed to make hydrochloric acid which kills bacteria and aids in digestion of your food.

Take what the health authorities say with a grain of salt…

So as you can see it is important to stay current with what the science is saying and not just blindly follow your doctor's advice. It's your health so do your own research when information doesn’t add up. Go with natural, unrefined salt; the way nature intended it to be consumed. Also, if you are concerned with the amount of salt you’re eating, just eliminate all those processed foods. Processed foods are loaded with refined salt. Oh, and just so we’re clear, salt is NOT just salt!